Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA

AGU embraces the global community and welcomes diverse leaders from around the world, representing various identities, voices, and perspectives. List any identities, voices, and perspectives you would bring, including but not limited to nationality, regional representations, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and any other identity you feel comfortable sharing.

As a woman in science, I will work to elevate the voices of underrepresented groups in the Natural Hazards section and to include the perspectives of those most vulnerable to the hazards that we research. I look forward to engaging with the section's Hazards Equity Working Group to advance these initiatives.

I have lived and worked in states bordering the Great Lakes, West Coast, and Gulf Coast and have an understanding of the challenges that each of these regions are facing, particularly pertaining to my research area of coastal flooding and vulnerability. I hope to build upon these experiences as secretary of the section to include other regional and international perspectives.

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

I served as a Science Advisor for Eos from 2019-2021. In this role, I represented the Natural Hazards section and provided expert commentary on scientist-authored work. I also co-edited the March 2021 issue on Equity in Natural Hazards Research. In 2019, I served as a Science Liaison for AGU's Thriving Earth Exchange on a project to assist four communities in mapping their flood risks and identifying sources of federal support to promote flood mitigation activities.

As one of the elected leaders of your section, how will you partner with your president and president-elect to communicate with and engage your members to help implement AGU’s strategic plan including its mission and vision?

As secretary of the Natural Hazards section, I will work closely with the president and president-elect to address the goals of the AGU strategic plan and to communicate updates and opportunities to our members. In particular, I will assist with recruitment of members for the honors and awards committee to support the identification of a highly qualified and diverse set of award nominees that are advancing our knowledge of scientific and societal challenges and community-relevant solutions. In addition, I will work with the section leadership to build on existing partnerships and develop new partnerships, within AGU and beyond, that can support interdisciplinary and inclusive approaches to natural hazards research spanning physical and social science, researchers and practitioners, and community perspectives. I will also work with the section's Hazards Equity Working Group to increase the participation of our membership in initiatives that advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in hazards research and response. Through these efforts, I believe we can engage section leadership and membership in efforts that address AGU's strategic goals related to catalyzing scientific discovery, building partnerships, and promoting inclusivity.

Section affiliations:

Global Environmental Change; Hydrology; Natural Hazards; Ocean Sciences